Kenyan Thomas Omwenga won the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon for the second year in a row on Sunday, but his record stands from 2011.
Omwenga finished the course on an “unseasonally warm” day with a time of two hours, 20 minutes and 41 seconds, which is six minutes slower than his record of 2:13:44 set in 2011. Gilbert Kiptoo, another Kenyan, came second at 2:27:01.
Portland’s Hallie Janssen was the top woman with a time of 2:47:03, just 33 seconds ahead of Nadyia Fry (Invermere), the second-overall woman. The two were 14th and 15th overall, with Victoria’s Catrin Jones the third woman and 19th overall finisher in a time of 2:49:02.
Easily the most fashionable effort from Sunday’s 33rd annual Victoria Marathon was Adam Campbell’s impressive time of 2:35:53. Campbell, a lawyer and ultramarathoner from Victoria, managed not to overheat under autumn sun while wearing a suit, blazer and tie. He should qualify for the Guinness World Records fastest marathon in a suit, breaking the previous time 3:24.
Other notables include Vancouver’s Graeme Wilson, third overall in the marathon. Wilson was the top B.C. runner and the top men’s master with a time of 2:29:17, winning the B.C. marathon championship.
First time marathoners, Nikki Jomha and Greg Robbins, two locals featured in the News’ fall series On the Run, finished the race in 4:21:26 and 3:57:40, respectively. Barefoot runner Derek Shaw, also part of On the Run, completed the half-marathon in 2:09:47.
Natasha Fraser outdueled Lucy Njeri and broke her own course record in the half-marathon from 2011, with a new record of 1:14:06 to Njeri’s 1:14:27.
Rutto Kibet (Edmonton) was the top male in the half-marathon with a time of 1:04:27, with Victoria’s Geoff Martinson running to second in 1:05:39.
Local Jim Finlayson was the top master runner in the half-marathon, his first run in the over-40 master category, finishing in 1:08:51, eighth overall.
Chris Winter (Vancouver) won the eight kilometre road race in 24:13. Rachel Cliff (Vancouver) was the top woman at 27:43
Registration numbers: 2,056 registered for the marathon, 5,503 for the half, 2,844 in the eight-km, 1,100 in the Thrifty Foods Kids Run, for a total of 11,503.
For more photos from the event, pick up a copy of the Oct. 12 Victoria News, available for a limited time at 818 Broughton St. For full race results, visit sportstats.ca.